This invention relates to an internal combustion engine which uses hydrogen gas as the fuel for thermal energy source and is capable of effectively converting the explosive energy generated by the combustion of hydrogen gas into mechanical kinetic energy.
As is well known in the art, since hydrogen gas engines are more advantageous than gasoline engines in that they have a better mileage and cause less pollution, various tests products have been manufactured. Test engines so far manufactured are, however, mostly far less practical in terms of output, engine configuration and weight, economy, etc. when compared with conventional type engines of petroleum fuels, and the development therefor has come to a deadlock.
The fundamental reason why these trial hydrogen engines have not yet reached the stage of practical use is that all these attempts were made to directly convert the combustion/explosion energy of hydrogen gas into mechanical kinetic energy as is done in conventional gasoline engines.
When hydrogen gas is viewed as a fuel for obtaining mechanical dynamic energy, its combustion rate is by far the greater than that of gasoline, and as a result the conversion of its combustion/explosion energy into mechanical dynamic energy becomes very low. The unconverted thermal energy which remains in the combustion chamber becomes accumulated and causes abnormal temperature rises in the parts which constitute the combustion chamber and adjacent parts thereof. This in turn hampers a smooth supply of hydrogen gas into the combustion chamber and the timely ignition as required, whereby proper engine driving becomes impossible.
Actual problems encountered in an internal combustion engine using hydrogen gas as the fuel is that although during idling when the fuel supply is limited, the engine can be kept running by a mixture diluted with the air, and a high load operation with an increased fuel supply will cause the premature ignition due to the increase in the hydrogen concentration. Thus, back fires and knocking are easily caused and the pressure is rapidly increased.
In order to overcome this problem, Billings and Daimler-Benz have proposed to supply hydrogen gas which is mixed with the water into the combustion chamber in order to lower the temperature of the combustion gas as well as the temperature of overheated parts. Previous attempts of this sort have succeeded in preventing the back fires and knocking to a certain extent. But since they must limit the maximum output to about 60% of the output obtained by gasoline engines in order to reduce the heat capacity produced by combustion and to prevent abnormal combustion, the output capacity cannot be sufficiently increased.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the problems heretofore encountered in hydrogen gas engines and to provide a feasible engine which is capable of increasing the efficiency in converting the combustion/explosion energy of hydrogen gas into mechanical dynamic energy and which can be put into practical use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen gas engine capable of preventing premature ignition, back fires and knocking even under a high load operation by restricting the thermal energy generated by the combustion and explosion of hydrogen gas by means of the water spray introduced into the combustion chamber concurrently with the gas supply.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a hydrogen gas engine with a higher efficiency in conversion of energy into mechanical dynamic energy by vaporizing the water spray which has been introduced in the combustion chamber into steam by the heat of combusting hydrogen gas and utilizing the effect of combined forces of hydrogen gas and the steam.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen gas engine capable of a smooth operation both under the high and low loads by means of separate channels, each of which supplying hdyrogen gas in an amount suitable for either the high or low load operation respectively.